ISME 09: Bringing life to the point of purchase

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Making POP more interactive and engaging was a big focus in the event's exhibit hall.

September retail sales see modest increases thanks to weather, late back-to-school sales

October 13, 2009

Consumers opened up their wallets last month to treat themselves to new Fall apparel and other discretionary purchases, helping September retail sales see…

Freakonomics co-author to speak at NRF 2010

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Journalist Stephen Dubner has been added to the roster of "retail's big show," taking place this January in New York.

Cisco augmented reality used in retail fitting rooms

A demo of new technology from Cisco that allows shoppers to try on clothes via augmented reality, all enabled by interactive digital signage.

The Flaming Lips to open pop-up store for one day

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

October 12, 2009

Avant-garde rock band The Flaming Lips is going into the retail business, for exactly one day.

Amazon UK offering free shipping for the holidays

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

October 12, 2009

England-based Retail Week reports that Amazon UK is offering free shipping on all orders between now and Jan. 1, 2010.

Steve Jobs helping overhaul Disney Stores

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

October 12, 2009

It looks like some of the visionary thinking that went into the Apple Stores is being brought to the retail wing of the Magic Kingdom: The New York Times…

Style For Less selects Epicor Retail

October 11, 2009

Epicor Software Corp. today announced retailer Styles For Less has selected the Epicor Retail software suite to support chain expansion, streamline operations…

Wavelink voice-enables Oracle retail apps

October 11, 2009

Wavelink Corp., a member of the Oracle PartnerNetwork, today announced its Wavelink Speakeasy platform can be used to voice-enable Oracle Retail Store…

Vampire Diaries digital storescapes by Inwindow Outdoor

This was an outdoor advertising campaign done by Inwindow Outdoor for The CW's Vampire Diaries. It appeared in Los Angeles and New York and utilized augmented…

ISME: Design of the Times 2009 award winners announced

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

At this week's In-Store Marketing Expo, a panel of 100 experts picked the year's best retail marketing initiatives in 16 categories.

Retail marketing will drive growth of NFC market, says Juniper study

October 8, 2009

Retailers using near-field communication, or NFC, for mobile coupon and smart poster applications will be key drivers of the growth of the technology over the…

Consumers say holiday budgets are tight, 85 percent will shop online

October 8, 2009

Eighty-five percent of consumers plan to shop online and 69 percent plan to make an online holiday purchase, based on results of a new survey from Burst.

Target to slash some toy prices by 50 percent for holidays

October 7, 2009

Target has announced that it has cut prices on some popular toy brands, including Barbie brand toys and Fisher Price, by as much as 50 percent as the holidy…

Online shopping a 'work in progress,' says report

October 7, 2009

A new report released this week from Tealeaf Technology and Harris Interactive shows that the use of websites for transactions is growing and that while the…

ISME 09: Upstart Play N Trade redesigns its experience, takes aim at GameStop

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

Executives from the fastest-growing video game retailer shared details on their store redesign and emphasis on in-store events.

T-Mobile wins retail store customer service showdown vs. other carriers

October 6, 2009

The Kansas City Star reported this morning that T-Mobile came out on top of a customer service showdown between the retail stores of the major wireless…

ISME 09: Seven tips for marketing to families during a recession

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

A fundamental shift in consumer spending has led to new rules for marketing to moms, the "Chief Purchasing Officers" of the modern family.

Neiman Marcus gets frugal for the holidays

by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

October 6, 2009

A retailer whose name is perhaps antithetical to the concept of frugality is getting a little bit thriftier with its 83rd annual gift catalog.

Price Checkers and Digital Signage Can Provide Data to Customers

Price checking scanners and digital signage can be integrated to allow retailers to enhance marketing and offer convenience for customers, leading to increased…